The next few days teachers started giving lots of homework so me and the rest of the first years were required to stay up late at night in the Common Room finishing our homework. One Saturday, when everyone else was outside by the lake enjoying the last few days of the nice weather, i was sitting in the Common Room beside the window trying to finish my History of Magic essay. Since History of Magic was so boring most of my classmates decided that it was bad enough having to attend that class, they were not about to spend an extra few hours doing its homework. But i wanted to do well this year, so there i was one Saturday morning with my textbook propped open reading about the witch trials in Salem Massachusetts.
The Salem witch trials occurred in colonial Massachusetts between 1692 and 1693. More than 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraft—the Devil's magic—and 20 were executed.
Salem Struggling
Several centuries ago, many practicing Christians, and those of other religions, had a strong belief that the Devil could give certain people known as witches the power to harm others in return for their loyalty. A "witchcraft craze" rippled through Europe from the 1300s to the end of the 1600s. Tens of thousands of supposed witches—mostly women—were executed.
In 1689, English rulers William and Mary started a war with France in the American colonies. Known as King William's War to colonists, it ravaged regions of upstate New York, Nova Scotia and Quebec, sending refugees into the county of Essex and, specifically, Salem Village in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
The displaced people created a strain on Salem's resources. This aggravated the existing rivalry between families with ties to the wealth of the port of Salem and those who still depended on agriculture. Controversy also brewed over Reverend Samuel Parris, who became Salem Village's first ordained minister in 1689, and was disliked because of his rigid ways and greedy nature. The Puritan villagers believed all the quarreling was the work of the Devil.
In January of 1692, Reverend Parris' daughter Elizabeth, age 9, and niece Abigail Williams, age 11, started having "fits." They screamed, threw things, uttered peculiar sounds and contorted themselves into strange positions, and a local doctor blamed the supernatural. Another girl, Ann Putnam, age 11, experienced similar episodes. On February 29, under pressure from magistrates Jonathan Corwin and John Hathorne, the girls blamed three women for afflicting them: Tituba, the Parris' Caribbean slave; Sarah Good, a homeless beggar; and Sarah Osborne, an elderly impoverished woman.
Witch Hunt
All three women were brought before the local magistrates and interrogated for several days, starting on March 1, 1692. Osborne claimed innocence, as did Good. But Tituba confessed. She said there were several other witches looking to destroy the Puritans. All three women were put in jail.
With the seed of paranoia planted, a stream of accusations followed for the next few months. Charges against Martha Corey, a loyal member of the Church in Salem Village, greatly concerned the community; if she could be a witch, then anyone could.
On May 27, 1692, Governor William Phipps ordered the establishment of a Special Court of Oyer (to hear) and Terminer (to decide) for Suffolk, Essex and Middlesex counties. Because of this many people were hanged on Gallows Hill. On October 3 Increase Mather, then president of Harvard, denounced the use of spectral evidence. Governor Phipps, in response to Mather's plea and his own wife being questioned for witchcraft, prohibited further arrests, released many accused witches and dissolved the Court of Oyer and Terminer on October 29. Phipps replaced it with a Superior Court of Judicature, which disallowed spectral evidence and only condemned 3 out of 56 defendants. Phipps eventually pardoned all who were in prison on witchcraft charges by May 1693.
I was so interested in the book that i did not hear when Harry, Ron and Hermione came into the Common Room hours later. "What are you reading? The Chronicles of Narnia?" Hermione asked seeing how engrosed i was in the book.
"No" i responded tilting the book slightly so she could see the cover. "What are the Chronicles of Narnia anyways?"
"It's a really good muggle book series. You should read it."
"Sure. I'll read it." I responded sarcastically, "When i want Father to kill me for not having proper wizarding pride."
"He won't kill you for reading a muggle book. He might get angry, but he won't kill you." Hermione replied. "Plus, your father doesn't have to find out. You only go home once every few months, so you can just read it when you're here."
"What about Draco? He'll surely tell Father" I reply, still not convinced.
"You can read it here in the Gryffindor Tower, Malfoy can't come in here so you're safe."
"Okay" i reply, accepting defeat.
"Cool, i'll get you the book soon."
"Can everyone please stop talking about books? I don't want Sam to get Hermionitis" Ron interrupts.
"Hermionitis?" we all ask intrigued.
"Yeah, it's a disease in which you read too many books. If you have a severe case you also become a Know It All" Ron explains.
The three of them soon leave and i continue writing my essay. It turns out that i got so into the work that i ended up writing 2 rolls of parchment, that's half a roll of parchment more than what Professor Binns asked for. I make a mental note to ask Professor Binns if he can make class more interesting and give out activities or something to do instead of just reciting the lesson in a monotone voice, since that's what made me think History of Magic was so boring. After that i head to my dormitory to get some much needed sleep.
* * *
On Monday i head to breakfast with Ginny, who is surprisingly not writing in her diary. After a quick breakfast we rush to Herbology so we can get to greenhouse 1 on time. Professor Sprout arrives soon after and we spend the whole lesson observing a Flitterbloom and learning how to diferentiate it from the Devil's Snare.
After Herbology we headed over to History of Magic, where i sat in the third row beside a girl named Lauren. As the bell rang signalling the begining of class Professor Binns floated in through the blackboard, as usual, and collected the homework before starting his monotone lecture. Five minutes later the whole class is asleep (Lauren even brought a pillow so that she is more comfortable). I was falling asleep when i decide to raise my hand and interrupt Professor Binns lecture.
"Yes Miss Malley?" Professor Binns asks, looking surprised at someone raising their hand.
"It's Malfoy Sir. And i was wondering if you can change your teaching tactics a bit and once in a while giving us some activities for us to complete, 'cause no offence or anything, but it's kinda boring listening to you lecture." I say as politely as i can.
"I'll think about it Miss Malfoy" he says, and then gets back to his lecture.
The next few lessons pass quickly without anything out of the ordinary happening. The only thing that was remotely interesting was in Potions today when I got my Shrinking Solution almost perfect, so Snape said he could teach me Occlumeny soon. He was going to check when he had some extra time and was going to let me know. Because of that, i was in fairly high spirits until after dinner when Harry, Ron, Hermione and i were walking back to the Gryffindor Tower and we ran into Draco.
"Hey Potter!" he says with his trademark smirk on his face. "I heard that you told Creevy to start a Harry Potter Fan Club. Guess you want more fame than what you got with your parents dying. But word of advice, I wouldn't hang out with Mudblood and Weasel over here, they don't do anything good to your image."
Harry was about to respond, when i interrupt.
"Leave my friends alone Draco" I say menacingly. "Go bother someone else, but these are my friends and you will not insult them."
"Or what? You know i can simply tell Father that you are defending these good for nothings."
I feel my face going pale but i try not to show it.
"You wouldn't dare" I respond threateningly.
"And why not?"
"Because" I say with a smirk of my own. "If you do i'll tell everyone what happened that time when you were 8."
"You wouldn't dare!"
"Oh really? Watch me" I say while turning around and start making my way to the Gryffindor Tower, Harry, Ron and Hermione following close behind.
"What happened to Malfoy when he was 8?" Harry asked when we were out of earshot.
"Oh that," I say with a secret smile, "we were playing Quidditch one day when he fell off his broom. I went inside to get my mum when i saw her wand lying on the table. I took it and disillusioned myself so Draco wouldn't see me. Then i crept up to him, tied his shoelaces together and got a knife. When i was right in front of him, i made myself visible again and shouted 'BOO!'. He was so scared that he peed in his pants."
"Bloody Brilliant!" Ron exclaimed.
"That's very dangerous, Malfoy could have gotten a serious injury and you didn't tell your mum." Hermione scolded.
"Who cares? It's Malfoy we're talking about, that's what makes it so bloody brilliant." Ron said.
Harry just laughed.
When we got to the Common Room I immediately say good-night and head to my dormitory. I'm about to doze off when Elitep flies in through the open window and drops a letter on my lap. I whisper "Lumus" so that my wand emits light, permiting me to see what's on the letter and who it is from. When that's done, I pick up the letter and see it's from my father. I gulp and then continue opening the letter.
Dear Samantha,
I regret to inform you that the time is almost up. You must report back to me your findings on Harry Potter no later than tomorrow at noon, or you WILL be punished. I understand that you can't miss school, so i will accept your report by Owl Post this time.
Your Father,
Lucius Malfoy
"Regret, yeah right" I scoff as i read the letter. A cold shiver runs through me as i read the word "punished" and decide to write a reply back with my findings immediately. I won't say much but hopefully it will be enough to keep my father off my back for some time. I get some parchment and a quill from my bedside table, and start writing.
Father,
I have not been able to make a perfect assessment yet, as that will take time. However, I have found out that Harry Potter loves Quidditch, asks many questions, usually copies his homework off of Hermione Granger, and goes down to visit Hagrid the Oaf at least once a week. I will have better answers as time goes on.
Sincerely,
Samantha Malfoy
When i finish the letter i tie it onto Elitep's leg and watch as he flies off on his way to deliver my reply. When i can't see Elitep anymore i put away my quill and the extra parchment, crawl into bed and mutter "Nox" turning my wandlight off.
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SUPER IMPORTANT!!!!
A/N: I got what is said in the History of Magic textbook about the Salem Witch Trials from http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/brief-salem.html?c=y&page=2 it is in no way shape or form mine. I also used hp-lexicon.org for researching the plants and that kind of stuff. Okay that's all the important stuff.
Now to the less important stuff. I know i said i was going to upload yesterday but i did have to do homework and the chapter took longer to write than what i had planned. But anyway I UPLOADED!!! i'm so proud of myself (*wipes invisible tear*). I don't know in how long you can expect the next chapter, since i do have school and sometimes i just don't feel like writing. I also decided to write some things down that appeared in the chapter that you might not have understood or simply don't remember. Here it goes:
Hermionitis: derived from Hermione, Ron made it up. It is supposed to be a disease that makes you like Hermione (personality wise).
Elitep: first appeared in the second chapter of this story. It is the name of the Malfoy's family owl.
Ok that's it, so remember to...
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